Success Tips

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You are in charge of the show - motivate and train your members on how to have the best Fudgeraiser possible. But don’t worry, we don’t expect you to be an expert on fundraising; use these tips to help your Fudgeraiser meet and beat your goals.

Communicate your goals - To kick off your Fudgeraiser, talk to your group about why you are raising money, what you will use the earnings for, and how much you need to raise. Figure out how much money you need, then increase this number by 25% to set a challenging goal. Make sure that your goal is challenging, but achievable. If you are getting too close to (or meet) your goal, you can always raise the goal to keep the participants motivated.

Now you need to apply this goal to your team; let them know how much each person needs to do in order to reach this goal. It’s better to tell them how many items they need to sell, instead of an amount of money. A common problem with fundraisers is that members don’t know exactly what you expect from them. By setting a goal for each of them, they know exactly what they need to accomplish.

Identify the market – Suggest to them who would be a good candidate to sell to: family, friends, neighbors, parent’s coworkers, etc. The possibilities are endless, especially with our online ordering!

Set guidelines – Set helpful guidelines for all of the participants to follow. This is also a good time to reinforce the importance of their safety.

Involve the parents (if you are a leader of kids) – Explain how important their involvement is, especially when it comes to encouraging their child, helping them get supporters, keeping up with the deadlines, and also monitoring their safety.

Keep motivating – Fundraisers go better when the members care about the purpose (especially when the result will benefit them directly; like getting new equipment, uniforms, etc). It doesn’t hurt to remind your members why they are doing this, and to encourage them to push themselves. And remind them of the deadline!

Since your team has two weeks to collect sales, it is also a good idea to check in with the group halfway through and check their progress. Members might need some gentle reminding of the importance of their efforts, or they might need to know that the pressure is on. Either way, a check in is a great way to rally your team and give them a final push.

Guide your members in presentation – Have a script for your members to practice that includes their name, your group, and why they are raising money. Encourage them to be familiar with FAQ so that they can be prepared for different questions their donors might ask. Also remind your members about proper etiquette and how important manners are; being polite and courteous can go a long way!

Here are some tools to make your job easier!

Do you have stellar sales people, who filled their order form spaces and need a page to add more orders? Download and print the Order Form page and staple it to the current forms.

When you have collected all of the order forms and payments, download this Master Order Form to make the tallying job easier! When you are done, simply e-mail it to info@fudgeraiser.com and we will start making your fudge right away.

Thank your donors as you deliver the fudge! Print our Thank You card templates, and encourage each participant to handwrite how the donations will be used, and sign the cards. Donors who feel appreciated are more likely to support your group again. Thank you templates:Word or PDF

It is up to you to sell fudge and raise money for your group. The more you sell, the more money your group gets, which means there is more fun stuff for your group! Here are some tips to help you reach your goal.

Write up a plan – When your group is starting their Fudgeraiser, write down a list of people you want to contact and try to sell to. These possible supporters could be family members, friends, or anyone that you know that you think might be willing to contribute. This list can help you stay on track and not forget anyone.

Always be courteous - Be polite to everyone and remember to use your manners. Say “thank you” to anyone that you approach and ask to contribute, even if they are not interested. Try to make your donors happy, and if they have a nice experience they may be willing to help you again in the future.

Use social media – Facebook, Twitter, etc. is a great way to advertise your Fudgeraiser and to drum up interest amongst your circle of friends. This is an excellent way to reach out to people that you can’t sell to in person, but can instead direct them to the website where they can still order. Remember, the more you promote = more people that know about your cause = more support!

Practice your sales pitch – Being prepared shows your dedication and enthusiasm for your Fudgeraiser, which potential customers can see. Getting sales becomes easier when you are more comfortable presenting yourself and your product, so it helps to know what you’re going to say before you talk to someone. You might also want to be prepared for typical questions that they may ask; for example, “When will I get my order?” “Who do I make the check out to?” “How fresh is the fudge?” etc. Answers to these can be found on our FAQ page, and will be explained to your group leader.

Keep your sales material with you – You never know where you might find a potential supporter!